Rating: 
Summary: A classic made even better on DVD.
Review: John Carpenter is one of those rare directors who can make his mark on a film. You know instantly it is his work by the style and mood of the picture. "The Thing" is no exception.
Having watched this film so many times in the 80's on cable, and loving every veiwing, it was a must have on DVD.
And yet, it is a film with a limited audience. The gruesome nature of the story demands a certain level of shocking special effects, and few can appreciate that these effects can be important in conveying such a dark tale as "The Thing ."
I've heard DVD's referred to as a "cinema school in a box",
and this Special Edition is certainly that. Loaded with extras, after viewing all the features on this disc, I have an even greater appreciation for one of my all time favorite films .
The quality of the DVD itself is superb, delivering wonderful picture and gut wrenching sound.
Overall, the masterful directing,the top notch acting, and horribly innovative special effects make this a DVD Tour De Force that belongs in the collections of John Carpenter fans, horror fans, and yes, even fans of good ol' Wilford Brimley!!
Rating:
Summary: A Horror Classic Ahead of it's Time
Review: In the competition for the best John Carpenter film, I would put The Thing neck and neck with Halloween. And though it certainly bares no resemblance to that film, it does share an ability to create unrelenting tension. Being his first major studio production, Carpenter used those extra resources to great result. The Thing's production standards are unflagging. From cinematography to setting to set design and special effects, the technique is flawless here.
What really makes this film work is the characters. Though some of the large ensemble occasionally gets lost in the shuffle, they are all unique personalities. Aided by an eye toward subtlety, (in marked contrast to the alien freak show) they manage to seem like real people. This is, of course, one of the major differences between The Thing and most of the rest of what hollywood puts out. Kurt Russel's MaCready is the backbone for this ensemble and he makes a commanding lead. But he never becomes a one man show. All of the characters lend the story strength. Wilfred Brimley stands out, (and not just because he looks remarkably different), as the doctor who first realizes the true danger. His quiet, understated and then shockingly explosive performance might be the best in his career. Not to mention one of the finest in horror history. As the characters slowly begin to distrust one another, most of the tension comes from these great actors.
Carpenter is also at his finest here. His direction makes sure there is no single scene that doesn't seem important. Carpenter and Dean Cundy's cinematography is absoulutely luscious. Despite the stark surroundings, everything appears so deep and expansive. The fantastic use of lighting. The ability to make a scene breath even while you have a half dozen men crammed into a very small room. The amazing editing adds icing to the cake. Also of great accomplishment here is Ennio Morricone, who did the original score. Famous for his work with Sergio Leone, Morricone had also had much experience in horror. Here he creates a score just as eerie as what Carpenter did in Halloween. Everything just gells.
Of course none of this would have been as remarkable without the exceptional effects of Rob Bottin. Having just come off of his groundbreaking work in "The Howling", Bottin was ready for an even greater challenge. What resulted is, in my opinion, the most amazing make-up effects in film history. The detail here is mind boggling. As much as we can do now with digital effects, they have yet to carry the gravity of sequences like these. If you want proof of that, just watch the Norris head sequence several times. The man's imagination is boundless. Stan Winston, a legend in his own right, also lends a hand here.They teamed up here for the dog creature sequence. Which is, for my money, the creepiest scene in the movie. Bottin's work showed someone, essentially, thinking out of the box. A monster like this had never been done before, (or since). Essentialy a body snatcher, this creation was elevated to a being who's horror was on a whole new level. Some couldn't handle it. All in all I would say The Thing is one of the finest alien monster movies ever made. When initially released it was poorly received,(probably due to the fact that it was facing off against "E.T."). Carpenter was also unwilling to make his film more mainstream. Especially as it related to the all male cast, cult level gore, and downbeat ending. But over time, the cream always rises to the surface. Almost twenty years later it's a bonafide classic. And for good reason.
As far as the dvd goes, it's a well rounded production. The picture is beautiful and the new 5.1 track is a great improvement. There are some interesting, if unexceptional deleted scenes. A well produced documentary that covers most of the basis and talks to most of the people involved. An enjoyable and fairly insightful commentary with Carpenter and Kurt Russel. Some interesting stop motion work left on the cutting room floor, (good thing to because it was rather goofy looking), also makes it in. There is also a very small handful of outtakes. One thing I found a little dissapointing was a rather big item left out. In the documentary it is mentioned that an alternate, more upbeat ending was actually filmed. Unfortunately they didn't see fit to include it. What fan of this film wouldn't want to get their hands on that.
In closing, if your a fan of great horror, this one's for you. But if you can't take gore, You may want to take a wide berth. Unfortunately you would be missing out on a truly great film.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Horror Movie
Review: The setting, the plot, the action is all great in this movie. I feel John Carpenter really did the original justice.
Rating:
Summary: Who goes there.....?
Review: A bunch of alpha-males working alone in an isolated American research station in the Antarctic come face to face with the frozen, but not dead occupant of a crashed alien spacecraft. Then the alien thaws out, trouble starts. Almost until then, John Carpenter's remake of the classic 1951 Howard Hawks thriller follows the original fairly closely. But Carpenter's alien isn't just some actor in a rubber suit like the first - rather the Thing isn't any kind of being as much as an agglomeration of rapidly growing cells that mimic whatever they touch almost perfectly (yet somehow remaining not only alien, but virulent and hostile). Whatever it touches, it becomes. Only the brutal polar weather has prevented it from infecting the world. Forget about watching the skies - now you've got to watch your back. In Carpenter's version, the UFO isn't found by the Americans, but by the occupants of a nearby Norwegian station. Days later, the Norwegian camp is reduced to a ruin; its sole survivor shows up in a seemingly homicidal rage, gunning for his sole remaining sled dog. Though the dog seems harmless enough, it soon proves otherwise. Thing has been unleashed.....Luckily, the Americans have Wilford Brimley as a know-it-all scientist who soon learns the Thing's awful secret, but Kurt Russel as well as Macready. When the Thing begins manifesting its unspeakable true image, Macready knows to grab for his flame-thrower. Talk about killer instincts. (I'm not sure why a scientific program at the South Pole comes equipped with flame-throwers, but who am I to criticize.) Unlike the first film, the Alien isn't so much a character here as much as an idea - any one of the Americans could be infected, perhaps already assimilated without his knowing, all merely by his having touched infected tissue. Thus sets in motion a horror story mixing the paranoia of the 1950's with the fear of AIDS of the 1980's. (Carpenter similarly riffed on Chernobyl in "Prince of Darkness" - 1987). "The Thing" is not just consistently horrifying, but in spots quite funny. Examples include Macready visiting Brimley's character while the scientist is locked up on suspicions that he's the alien. "I'm okay now" he tells Kurt Russel, while a noose hangs not too far behind him. Macready, for his instincts and his nerve, remains fallible - all leading up to the now classic tied-up-to-the-sofa scene, in which Macready tests the blood of each of the surviving team members. That scene is both hysterical and terrifying at the same time, a feat many attempt but few achieve. If anything, "The Thing" gets better with age. Forget those cheesy movies where the alien just hops out of some air duct or something - this alien hides in plain sight. With the director setting the action to his own brand of electronic fear and loathing, "The Thing" is near perfect. A classic you should won, even if that means getting the cropped-screen version.
Rating:
Summary: Arctic film true to orignal story
Review: This film was an excellent adaptation of the orignal short story by the late Mr. John Wood Campbell,The orignal story was first printed in 1938 and the story was one that was read in one sitting,it was gripping and tense.The film adaptation captures this brooding dark mood of the arctic camp and the isolation felt by the team members.The special effects are outstanding as is the performances by Kurt Russell,Keith David,Wilford Brimley and Donald Moffat. John Carpenter`s direction is fast paced and he keeps the tension building,the fear and uncertainty Mr.Carpenter delivers is palpable.The photography and sets are throughly believeable and the film keeps true to the vision of Mr. Campbells` short story.All in all this DVD is well worth the money,it will certainly make you sleep with the lights on,I must warn the weakly constituted this is not a film to watch with your children the scenes are extremely intense and graphic.A true Science fiction/Horror treat!!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful showcase of pre-CGI weirdness
Review: AS A SCIENCE FICTION FILM: "The Thing" is a wonderful adaptation of Joseph Campbell's short story, "Who Goes There?" and it's probably the first time a shape-shifting alien menace has been created realistically on screen.
AS A HORROR FILM: This movie is pretty much one big non-stop horror show, a showcase of extremely weird and occasionally repellent special effects. It has some pretty creepy moments, and one jolt in particular that made me jump out of my seat the first time I saw it. But is it persistently, relentlessly SCARY? Maybe for little kids, but today's sophisticated audience requires more psychological scares that have some basis in reality.
AS SUSPENSE AND DRAMA: One thing I hate is when directors of horror films feel the need to drop in a little "comic relief" from time to me. To me, horror is supposed to be serious stuff. And except for one oddly-appropriate line spoken by David Clennon (later the loathsome Miles Drentel on TV's "Thirty-Something"), the humor is kept to a bare minimum. It's also worth watching this film a second time to puzzle out WHO has become infected with the alien contagion and WHEN it might have happened. The atmosphere of paranoia established in "The Thing" is very effective.
AS A SHOWCASE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS: Yes, folks, there was a time when directors couldn't rely on computer graphic imaging for special effects; when a shape-shifting alien was not digitally mapped, but instead had to be constructed piece-by-piece out of latex, air bladders, and gallons of K-Y Jelly. Few moviegoers were prepared for the parade of grotesquerie that effect wizard Rob Bottin gave us. THIS MOVIE ISN'T PERFECT: There's a remarkably rapid shifting between daytime and nighttime scenes for a story that's supposed to take place in Antarctica. This is one of those lapses in logic that is going to bother some people. As for John Carpenter, a guy who has been reduced to giving us [stuff]like"Ghosts of Mars," this is one of his best films.
Rating:
Summary: 5 STAR MOVIE, 5 STAR TREATMENT
Review: In a time of unneeded remakes (House on Haunted Hill, Thomas Crown Affair, Rollerball, Planet of the Apes,etc.)modern directors need to take a cue from The Thing. A remake of the utterly vapid The Thing from Another World, The Thing is one of those rarities in horror films. It combines BOTH good suspense with moments of graphic gore and leaves you wondering HOW the film really ended. I've loved this film since it came out and have always thought its been vastly under-rated though it seems to be gaining in popularity nowadays. Kurt Russel is our anti-hero leading an excellant cast including Mr. Oatmeal Wilfred Brimley as scientists in an Antartic Research Station fighting the unknown and each other's fears and suspicions. The effects in The Thing are better than most of today's hasty CG affairs, can anyone ever really forget the CPR scene? This DVD is first rate. Excellant Widescreen transfer, excellant surround sound. An AWESOME commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. The commentary is like having them over at your house having a few drinks talking bout the good old days making this movie. The making of stuff is also informative and first-rate. For a film this old and under-rated I was amazed how much material they dredged up, and unlike other DVDs its all good stuff. Do yourself a favour and buy this NOW. Also, if you haven't already buy the Special Edition of Big Trouble in Little China! (best movie ever? quite possibly!)
Rating:
Summary: Ah the eighties, before things went horribly wrong...
Review: Say what you will but the Thing was made during a time before rancid pretentiousness infected early every piece of Hollywood. This movie in particular embodies everything good about the era. A complete abcense of hip teens and bad music and cheesy CGI special effects. Anyone else remember the days when the previews for MOVIES did not have a section that said ...featuring the music of this terrible band and that terrible band? If you want to listen to awful music then go to your local record store and browse the Moby bin.
Rating:
Summary: Best Alien Horror Movie
Review: A United States team of scientists and researchers stationed on a remote camp in the Antarctic encounter an alien being and fight for their lives to survive. Loaded with spectacular and gory special effects, the Thing is unlike any other space alien featured in a movie. It possesses the ability to infect living animals and humans like a virus, and mutates with the hosts' cells to replicate and replace its victims. The story is spooky in that the alien can conceal itself as one of the team's members and pretty soon they're at deadly odds with each other in determining who is the Thing. The movie opens with the incursion of two Norwegians by helicopter from a nearby station, in lethal pursuit of a dog that enters the US facility. In the midst of the screaming and shooting, both the Norwegians end up dead and the US team members are perplexed by what has occurred. They investigate the Norwegian camp only to find no survivors, some unexplainable burned remains, and evidence of a space ship that is not from this world. The team finds out too late that the dog is the alien and very quickly fall into a horrifying predicament as the deadly intruder begins taking victims, all while trapped at their remote location in the harsh Antarctic wilderness. The Thing is a clever and scary story, well played by the nature of the alien threat and the special effects already mentioned. There's not much more to mention without giving away the conclusion, except to hold onto your seats when you watch this battle unfold between the heroes and the alien.
Rating:
Summary: The Thing
Review: The modern master of fright John Carpender has created a movie so terrifying it'll crawl right up your leg.Rather than a remake this updated version of Howard Hawks 1951 science fiction horror classic is closer to a sequel with Kurt Russel and his crew arriving at the Antarctic encampment after the chameieon like creature from outer space has finished off its inhabitants.It's good ol' "tell me a scary story" fun.Rated R for profanity and gore.
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